Sheet-metal mantel



M e h S F AW 6 h S 2 K m d O M 0 SHEET METAL MANTEL.

Patented Aug. 26, 1890'. F 1.

WITNESSES H 1.60 rm/W57 (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

K. A. GRAVES. SHEET METAL MANTEL.

No. 435,017. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

K N58858: IAII/E/VTOH W WW W/ m: mums PEIERS co., mom-mum, wAsHmmoN, o.c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KATHARINE A. GRAVES, OF NEYV YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TOTHE GEO. VAN WAGENEN COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEYV YORK.

SHEET-METAL MANTEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,017, dated August26, 1890.

Application filed December 1 1888. Serial No. 292,375. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, KATHARINE A. GRAVES,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, in thecounty of New York and 5 State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Sheet-Metal Mantels, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in mantels; and it consists in anovel construction whereby I am enabled to manufacture the entire mantelfrom sheet-steel in such manner that there will be no buckling orbending of the parts, and that the mantel [5 when produced may be soldat a price very much less than the lnantels nowin use. The mantel whichis the subject of this application is composed of pilastcrs, one foreach side of the fire-place, a frieze connecting the upper portions ofthese pilasters, and a shelf which is secured upon the upperedges of thepilasters and the frieze, the whole, when constructed as hereinafterdescribed and put in position, forming a substantial structure havingall the necessary characteristics to insure rigidity and durability.

The details of construction will be fully understood from thedescription hereinafter presented, and the novel features are pointedout in the claims.

Great difficulty has been experienced in the manufacture of sheet-metalmantels from the fact thatthe metal after leaving the dies is liable tobuckle and present an unsightly appearance, and in addition the securingof the parts of the metal together and their proper formation for usehave been attended with considerable expense and difficulties. By thepresent invention I have effectually 4o overcome all known objections tosheet-metal mantels, and have embodied the invention in a mantel whichmay be constructed at a reasonable cost, and in the manufacture of whichthe parts of the mantel after leaving the dies will retain the formgiven to them without buckling.

My invention embodies also certain novel features of construction,which, as above mentioned, will be described hereinafter.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of themantel constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section of the same on the dotted line X X of Fig. 1. Fig. 3is alike section of same on the dotted line Z Z of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is avertical section on the dotted line Y Y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a verticalsection on the dotted line X X of Fig. 4., looking at the face of themantel, the grooves or corrugations being omitted from Fig. 5 forclearness of illustration; and Fig. 6 is a vertical section on thedotted line Y Y of Fig. 5.

In the drawings, A denotes the fire-place, of usual form, around whichis secured the 6g mantel composed of the pilasters (lettered A B,respectively) connected by the frieze G, the whole being supplemented bythe mantelshelf D. The pilasters A B are identical in form andconstruction, and they extend from the door to the mantel-shelf, onebeing on each side of the tire-place. The pilasters A B have upon theirface suitable ornamental scrolls or grooves a, which possess the qualityof strengthening the structure, in addition to that of rendering thesame more ornate in character. Upon the outer edges of the pilasters A Bare provided the facin gs E, which extend inward to a point near thewall and there meet the laterally-extending facings F, which areprovided with the vertical corrugationsb and constitute wall-plates, asillustrated in section in Fig. 2. The outer edges of the wallplates Fare bent inward and impinge the wall and form an angle in which are thewooden standards G, which aiiord means of attaching the pilasters inposition and at the same time prevent anysi'ibst-antial portion of themantel from being affected by contact with the plaster of the wall,thereby preventing the corrosion of the mantel. The vertical grooves orcorrugations b in the wall-plates F increase the strength of thepilasters and prevent them from buckling. At the same time they, byentering grooves formed in the wood 5 G, as illustrated in Fig. 2, aidin maintaining the parts of the mantel in position.

Upon the inner edges of the pilasters A B are formed the returns I-I,extending inward toward the wall and uniting with the facings I, at theinner edges of which the metal is bent directly inward to the wall, asshown at K, forming an angle to receive or fit over the wooden standardsJ, as shown in Fig. 2, the purpose of these latter standards being thesame as that of the standards G, above referred to. The facings I andwall-plates F extend from the top to the bottom of the pilasters, asshown in Fig. vl, the upper portion of the facings I, however, beinginclined outward and upward at L, (see Fig. 1,) and then passing upward,forming flanges to receive the ends of the frieze O. In the upper endsof the facings I, forming such flanges, are provided the rows ofapertures d, as shown in Fig. 5, which correspond with the apertures 6,(see Fig. 4,) formed in the frieze O, the purpose of the apertures beingto receive the rivets f, whereby the frieze and pilasters are securedtogether. I provide more than one row of apertures in the upper ends ofthe facings I in order that the pilasters may be adj usted toward orfrom each other in order to suit the different widths of fire-places;and this feature is important, since it obviates the necessity ofproviding mant-els of different sizes for the different fire-places, onemantel with the means of adjustment between-the frieze and pilastersanswering for all ordinary sizes of fire-places.

The upper portion of the frieze O is about on the same vertical plane asthe pilasters A B, while the lower portion is bent inward, forming theincline M, fitting the outward bend in the facings I. at L, from whichthe lower-portion of the frieze 0 extends vertically downward, as shownin Fig. 1, forming a wall-plate N, which is provided with thecorrugations g, and connected, as above mentioned, by the rivets f f tothe facings I.

The inclined surface M of the frieze C is provided with the verticalcorrugations h, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, which prevent the friezefrom being indented or injured at this point by external knocks orcontact with other objects. The opposite ends of the upper portion ofthe frieze O are provided with the vertical corrugations i, which notonly beautify the mantel, but strengthen those portions, and combinewith the corrugations h in rendering the frieze rigid and of sufficien-tstability to enable the successful construction of the mantel fromsheet-steel. a

At the points L of the pilasters A B ar formed the rounded corners,(illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5 and denoted by the letter R) which permitthe formation of the lower part of the facing I on a plane lessprojecting than the upper portion thereof, leaving said upper portion onthe same vertical plane as the pilasters A B, in position to receive theends of the frieze O, asabove described. The lower ends of thepilastersA B are formed with the base-blocks Q, projecting outwardbeyond the vertical plane of the pilasters, as indicated in Figs. 1 and4. Along the lower edges of the pilasters are formed the horizontalgrooves R and along the upper ends of said pilasters are formed thehorizontal grooves S, which meet and form a continuation of thehorizontal groove T in the upper edge of the frieze C, said groovesarranged in the manner described operating to prevent the raised partsof the mantel from being bent inward by contact with objects thrownagainst them. If the elevated portions of the mantel-such as thepilasters and frieze-could be readily bent inward by pressure appliedagainst them, the effect would be to spread the wall-plates F andfacings I outward, and hence the necessity of employing the grooves R ST or some equivalent grooves for preventing the effect specified. At thelower edge of the lower portion N of the frieze O the metal is bentinward, forming a return V, as shown in Fig. 4, which meets thedownwardly-extending flange WV, whose lower edge is bent inward to thewall, forming a flange m, which forms a space to receive or fit over thetransverse bar of wood n, as illustrated in Fig. 4:, which prevents thecontact of the metal with the wall and avoids corrosion.

Along the lines of contact between the ends of the frieze O and theinner portions ofthe pilasters A B are provided layers q of oil-paper,sheet-brass, or other material which will not be liable to corrode.

In riveting the pilasters and frieze together in the ordinary course ofevents the enamel on the sheet metal might become broken or rubbed, andin the absence of the layer q corrosion might set in at these points;but to avoid all such difficulties and to enable the manufacturers toquickly rivet the parts of the mantel together the layers of material qhave been provided. The upper edge of the frieze C is bent inward,forming a flange 0", (see Fig. 6,) and at the inner edge of this flangethe metal is bent directly downward, forming the flange s, the flange rfitting over the horizontal flange 15, formed on the upper edges of thepilasters A B, while the flange sis engaged by the flange a, formed onthe ends of the straps w, secured to the under-surfaces of themantelshelf D. Any number of the straps to may be provided; but usuallytwo will be enough, one adjacent to each end of the mantel. These strapsw will be riveted at w to the mantel-shelf, and when thus secured theywill effectually hold the upper edges of the frieze O in position andlock the parts of the mantel together. The 'mantet shelf D is formedfrom sheet-steel stamped up in dies, audits front and end edges areprovidedwith the flanges a b, as shown in Fig. 4, forming double angles,whichprevent the shelf from buckling or being bent by ordinary usage.The inner edge of the mantelshelf is provided with the right-angledflange d which is secured in the wall, as shown in Fig. 4, and aids insustaining the shelf in rigid position upon the upper portion of thepilasters and frieze.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is 1. The sheet-in etal mantel consisting of the shelf, frieze O, andpilasters A B, the pilasters being each of a single piece of sheet metalextending from the floor to said shelf, and the frieze being also of asingle piece of sheet metal and connecting said pilasters, the ends ofsaid frieze and the in ner, vertical sides of the upper ends of saidpilasters overlapping and conforming with each other to permit theadjustment of the pilasters toward or from each other Without leavingthe ends of the frieze, substantially as set forth.

2. The sheet-metal mantel consisting of the pilasters, frieze, andshelf, the pilasters being each pressed up from sheet metal with thereturns 11 and facings E and extending from the floor to said shelf, andthe frieze being also pressed up from asingle piece of sheet metal andconnecting said pilasters, the ends of said frieze and the innerVertical sides of the upper ends of said pilasters overlapping andconforming with each other to permit the adjustment of the pilasterstoward or from each other without leaving the ends of the frieze,substantially as set forth.

3. The sheet-metal mantel consisting of the pilasters, frieze, andshelf, the pilasters having corrugated wall-plates F and facings I,

combined with the wooden standards G J,

substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The sheet-metal mantel consisting of the pilasters, frieze, andshelf, the inner edges of the pilasters having facings, the upperportion of Which is left about on the same vertical plane as thepilasters forming the depressed corners P, and the frieze beingconformed to said facings at its ends, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. The sheet-metal mantel consisting of the pilasters, frieze, andshelf, the inner edges of the upper portion of the pilasters havingflanges to receive the ends of the frieze, layers of non-corrosivematerial q being provided between the contact parts of said frieze andsaid flanges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The sheetanetal mantel consisting of the pilasters, frieze, andshelf, the frieze being provided With the incline M, having corrugationsh, and the lower portion N of the frieze having flanges V WV, While theadjacent portions of the pilasters correspond in outline with andreceive the ends of the frieze, substantially as shown and described.

7. The sheetqnetal mantel consisting of the pilasters, frieze, andshelf, the upper edges of the frieze being bent to form the flanges r s,and the upper edges of the pilasters being bent to form the flange 25,combined With the straps w, riveted to the shelf D and clutching theflange s of the frieze, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed at New York,in the county of New .York and State of New York,this 17th day of November, A. D. 1888.

KATHARINE A. GRAVES.

W'itnesses:

CHAS. C. GILL, R. A. PoRTEoUs.

